THE first batch of US brand Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines composed of 193,050 doses is set today arrive on board a chartered flight.

The office of Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Eddie V. Monreal said the arrival of Pfizer-BioNTech at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminal 2 is scheduled around 9:30 p.m. on a chartered flight from Air Hong Kong.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., Health Secretary Francisco Duque lll, testing czar Vince Dizon and other government officials including officials from the COVAX facility welcome the arrival of Pfizer vaccines in the Philippines.

The first delivery of Pfizer vaccines was expected last February 2021 but the delivery was delayed because of tight supply.

Galvez in a recent advisory said: “We will have good volumes this coming May because of a positive development in COVAX. It seems that Pfizer and AstraZeneca will be able to deliver. More than two million doses of AstraZeneca arrived last Sunday.”

He thanked the US government and Philippine Ambassador to US Jose Manuel Romualdez who helped with the delivery of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to the Philippines.

Galvez said with the expected arrival of pandemic jabs, there would be no problems giving the second dose to those who have received their first shot.

Pfizer vaccines acquired through the COVAX facility were supposed to be among the first jabs to arrive in the Philippines but their delivery was delayed because of tight supply.

Galvez said the government initially expected the US-made vaccines to arrive last February.

He stressed that the arrival of Pfizer will pave way to the “mini-roll-out” of the vaccine and would allow the government to prepare for succeeding deliveries.

He noted that Pfizer vaccines should be stored at temperatures of negative 70 degrees Celsius.

“Our local government units in National Capital Region are prepared to receive the Pfizer vaccines and we are also looking at Davao and Cebu,” Galvez said.

Earlier, the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año alerted the public on fake Pfizer vaccines that may arrive in the country.